What I did not fully anticipate was that my story would be largely viewed through a political lens, usually couched and anatomized in partisan and politicized terms. Here’s the “immigration reform,” “pro-immigrant” side, and here’s the “no amnesty,” “anti-immigrant” side, substituting the appearance of balance and neutrality for real insight. To achieve journalistic “objectivity,” we sacrifice people’s humanity. It was a sobering experience, being on the other side. It made me wonder how the subjects of and sources for my news stories felt about what I wrote.
